House concerts permitted, so long as there’s no charge

Rachelle Stein-Wotten

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder

Are house concerts permitted on Gabriola? So long as it’s not a ticketed event, according to land use bylaws.

Concerts and other gatherings on residential properties are popular activities on Gabriola Island. The home occupation regulations of the Gabriola Island land use bylaw do not permit commercial concerts, theatre or music events, Islands Trust bylaw staff confirmed.

“If someone is simply having a large private gathering with no entrance fee, and there has been no payment for any entertainers by the hosts, that would not contravene the land use bylaw,” Warren Dingman, Islands Trust manager of compliance and enforcement, said.

Under the home occupations section of the land use bylaw, only the Gabriola Theatre Centre is permitted to host live theatre. Dingman said the bylaw office is aware similar events have been held on other properties on the island, but no complaints have been filed while last year there was one complaint.

On the Regional District of Nanaimo side, the Electoral Area B noise bylaw prohibits the use of loud speakers at any time of day as well as ringing of things like bells and gongs between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. A first offence for noise bylaw violations could come with a penalty of between $100 and $2,000.

The noise bylaw as well as violations of the Motor Vehicle Act such as illegal parking are enforced by the RCMP.

The Gabriola Fire Protection Improvement District’s bylaws require a permit for all open air fires that are over .5 x .5 x .5 metres, including flames. All beach fires are banned year round on Gabriola. The seasonal campfire ban is also currently in effect.